Generate Fresh Mitochondria with PQQ

Scientists Discover the “Other CoQ10”

February 2011

By Perry Marcone

In 1983, Life Extension® introduced a relatively little-known compound called
coenzyme Q10. Our review of the literature back then had unearthed data
confirming its power to boost the health and energy output of the mitochondria.

Today, scientists recognize mitochondrial dysfunction as a key
biomarker of aging.1-6 To take one instance,
researchers have recorded evidence of 50%more mitochondrial damage in
the brain cells of humans over 70 compared to middle-aged individuals.7 Mitochondrial dysfunction and death are now
definitively linked to the development of virtually all killer diseases of aging, from
Alzheimer’s and type 2 diabetes to heart
failure.8-11

The good news is that mitochondrial dysfunction can be reversed.12 The scientific literature is now filled with studies
documenting the therapeutic power of CoQ10 to thwart degenerative disease by
boosting mitochondrial health and bioenergetic (energy-producing) capacity.13-16

What you need to know

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been definitively
linked to virtually all killer diseases of aging, from
Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes to
heart failure.

Researchers have recorded evidence of greater mitochondrial damage in the
brain cells of humans over 70 compared to those in their early 40s.

Published studies show that 20 mg of PQQ plus 300
mg of CoQ10 may reverse age-related cognitive decline
in aging humans.

The latest advance in the area of mitochondrial bioenergetics is the
coenzyme pyrroloquinoline quinone or PQQ.

PQQ’s critical role across a range of biological functions has only gradually emerged. Like
CoQ10, it is a micronutrient whose antioxidant capacity provides extraordinary defense against
mitochondrial decay.

But the most exciting revelation on PQQ emerged early in 2010, when researchers found it not only
protected mitochondria from oxidative damage—it stimulated growth of fresh
mitochondria!17

In this article, you will learn of this novel coenzyme’s ability to combat mitochondrial
dysfunction. You will find out how it protects the brain, heart, and muscles against
degenerative disease. You will also discover its potential to reverse
cellular aging by activating genes that induce mitochondrial
biogenesis—the spontaneous formation of new mitochondria in aging
cells!

PQQ: A Breakthrough in Cellular Anti-Aging

PQQ is ubiquitous in the natural world. Its presence in interstellar stardust has led
some experts to hypothesize a pivotal role for PQQ in the evolution of life on Earth.18 It has been found in all plant species tested to date.
Neither humans nor the bacteria that colonize the human digestive tract have demonstrated the
ability to synthesize it.19 This has led researchers to
classify PQQ as an essential micronutrient.20

PQQ’s potential to stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis was foreshadowed by
repeated early findings indicating its central role in growth and development across multiple
forms of life.

It has been shown to be a potent growth factor in plants, bacteria, and higher organisms.21,22 Pre-clinical studies reveal that when deprived of
dietary PQQ, animals exhibit stunted growth, compromised immunity, impaired reproductive
capability, and most importantly, fewer mitochondria in their tissue.
Rates of conception, the number of offspring, and survival rates in juvenile animals are also
significantly reduced in the absence of PQQ.23-25
Introducing PQQ back into the diet reverses these effects, restoring systemic function
while simultaneously increasing mitochondrial number and energetic efficiency.

Optimal Mitochondrial Defense

As the primary engines of almost all bioenergy production, the mitochondria rank among the
physiological structures most vulnerable to destruction from oxidative damage.
PQQ’s formidable free radical–scavenging capacity furnishes the mitochondria with superior
antioxidant protection.

At the core of this capacity is an extraordinary molecular stability.30 As a bioactive coenzyme, PQQ actively participates in
the energy transfer within the mitochondria that supplies the body with most of its bioenergy
(like CoQ10).

Unlike other antioxidant compounds, PQQ’s exceptional stability allows it to carry out
thousands of these electron transfers without undergoing molecular breakdown. It has been proven
especially effective in neutralizing the ubiquitous superoxide and
hydroxyl radicals.31
According to the most recent research, “PQQ is 30 to 5,000 times more
efficient in sustaining redox cycling (mitochondrial energy production) . . . than other common
[antioxidant compounds], e.g. ascorbic acid.”21 A
consistent finding in the scientific literature is that nutrients like PQQ provide more
wide-ranging benefits than conventional antioxidants the general public relies on.

Anti-Aging Armor for the Most Energy-Intensive Organs

PQQ’s dual capacity as a cell signaling modulatorand a superior antioxidant
renders it optimally effective in combating degenerative disease and age-related declines in the
body’s most energetic organs: the heart and brain.

The revelation of its ability to favorably affect system-wide cell development, metabolism, and
mitochondrial biogenesis affords an explanation for a wealth of data on its neuroprotective and
cardioprotective benefits.

Neuroprotection

PQQ has been shown to optimize health and function of the entire central nervous system. It
reverses cognitive impairment caused by chronic oxidative stress in pre-clinical models,
improving performance on memory tests.32 It has also
been shown to safeguard the “Parkinson’s disease gene,” DJ-1, from self-oxidation—an
early step in the onset of disease.33

Reactive nitrogen species (RNS), like reactive oxygen species, impose severe stresses on
damaged neurons.34 They arise spontaneously following
stroke and spinal cord injuries and have been shown to account for a substantial proportion of
subsequent long-term neurological damage. PQQ suppresses RNS in experimentally induced
strokes.35 It also provides additional protection by
blocking gene expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), a major source of RNS,
following spinal cord injury.36

PQQ powerfully protects brain cells against oxidative damage following
ischemia-reperfusion injury—the inflammation and oxidative damage that
result from the sudden return of blood and nutrients to tissues deprived of them by stroke.37 Given immediately before induction of stroke in animal
models, PQQ significantly reduces the size of the damaged brain area.38

PQQ also interacts in a beneficial manner with our brain’s neurotransmitter systems. In
particular, PQQ protects neurons by modifying the important NMDA receptor site.39,40 NMDA is a powerful mediator of “excitotoxicity,” a
response to long-term overstimulation of neurons that is associated with many neurodegenerative
diseases and seizures.41-43 PQQ also protects against
neurotoxicity induced by other toxins, including mercury.44,45

A mounting body of evidence points to PQQ as a potent intervention in Alzheimer’s
disease and Parkinson’s disease. Both are triggered by
accumulation of abnormal proteins that initiate a cascade of oxidative events resulting in brain
cell death. PQQ prevents development of a protein (alpha-synuclein) associated with Parkinson’s
disease.46 It also protects nerve cells from the
oxidizing ravages of the amyloid-beta protein linked with Alzheimer’s disease.47 A 2010 study revealed that PQQ could prevent formation
of amyloid beta molecular structures.48

PQQ has also been shown to protect memory and cognition in both aging animals and humans.49,50 It stimulates production and release of nerve
growth factor in cells that support neurons in the brain.51 This may partially explain why PQQ supplementation of
aging rats resulted in marked improvement of their memory function.49

In humans, supplementation with 20 mg per day of PQQ resulted in improvements on
tests of higher cognitive function in a group of middle-aged and elderly people.50 These effects were significantly amplified when the
subjects also took 300 mg per day of CoQ10.

Additional Information

This supplement should be taken in conjunction with a healthy diet and regular exercise program. Individual results are not guaranteed and results may vary.

The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. You should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem. You should not stop taking any medication without first consulting your physician.

Product Guarantee

If you are not 100% satisfied with any purchase made directly from Life Extension®, just return your purchase within 12 months of original purchase date and we will either replace the product for you, credit your original payment method or credit your Life Extension account for the full amount of the original purchase price (less shipping and handling).

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.